


Adventures of the Hairy Kind

by Remy (iamremy)



Category: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Genre: Art, Ethan isn't too happy, Fanart, Ficlet, Fluff, M/M, Will likes to play with Ethan's hair, so much fluff ohmygod
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-27
Updated: 2014-04-27
Packaged: 2018-01-21 00:36:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1531481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamremy/pseuds/Remy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Ethan <em>almost</em> regrets growing out his hair. Seriously, Will is <em>so lucky</em> Ethan loves him.</p><p>Even if he insists on displaying his braiding skills on Ethan's head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Adventures of the Hairy Kind

**Author's Note:**

> First and foremost, I apologize for subjecting you guys to my - there's no other word for them - shenanigans. But. In my defense.
> 
>  
> 
> _Ethan in a ponytail._

_Ethan forgets to get his hair cut and it grows past his ears and lies all over his neck and it's annoying but Will likes the long hair (and pfft like he's ever gonna say no to Will) so Ethan just wears it in a ponytail while at work or on missions._

* * *

So this is how it started, with me being bored and messaging [Iz](http://archiveofourown.org/users/agent_izhyper/):

 

And these are the drawings I made (I was in Biochem class and  _bored_ , so sue me if I began drawing things in my notebook):

 

* * *

**1**

Ethan swipes his bangs out of his eyes and huffs irritably. His hair's gotten way too long to be comfortable - it falls past his eyes and lies all over his neck, and  _damn_ but it's annoying. He'd get a haircut but... Will had once off-handedly mentioned that he liked the long hair, and Ethan didn't want to get it cut after that. Even though he knows Will won't mind if he does get his hair cut, he just doesn't want to. He's not going to tell anyone, but he  _loves_ it when they're watching TV on the couch together and Will absently starts playing with his hair.

So he starts wearing it up in a small ponytail at the back of his head, tying it up when he's at work or on a mission. He does get a few strange looks from some of his colleagues, but no one comments and truth be told, he doesn't care what they think. At home he leaves it loose, strands of brown hair falling to the top of his shoulders and tickling the back of his neck. It does get a little annoying at times, but when he sits down with Will at the end of the day he doesn't mind so much.

**2**

Of course, long hair also means he's the perfect target for a great many practical jokes carried out by Benji and Will. Ethan thinks they're a menace to society, but he almost never voices it. In any case, Benji would just scoff and hack his computer or something, and Will - well, he loves Will, so Will knows that the yelling is half-hearted at best and totally just for the sake of it. Like Ethan could ever be angry at Will anyway.

He falls asleep on the couch one Saturday afternoon and wakes up in the evening to find that his scalp feels weirdly stretched over his skull. A hand over his head lets him know that his hair is not the way it should be. A glance in the mirror reveals pigtails.

Ethan just stares at himself in the mirror and tries not to scream. Whoever's responsible for this ( _Will_ , his mind supplies at once) has tied his ponytail up in  _pink rubber bands_.

Right on cue Will walks into the living-room, holding two mugs of steaming coffee. Ethan's mouth water at the scent, but he tells himself to resist.  _Be strong, Ethan. Do not give in._

But because he can't resist Will for shit, he grabs one of the mugs and then sighs and asks, "This was you, wasn't it?"

Will shrugs and grins, plopping down on the couch and draping his legs all over Ethan. "It might have been."

"Why, Will?" asks Ethan morosely. "I thought you loved me, Will."

He's never going to tell anyone, but when Will begins laughing he decides the fucking pigtails are sort of, kind of, maybe, totally worth it.

**3**

Or they would have been, if that had been the only incident.

He wakes up for work one morning to find that his hair isn't in his eyes at all, like it's supposed to be. Instead it's pulled back over his head... and tied with a frilly pink bow. Hang on, make that  _bows_. There are at least a million of them in his hair, he's sure of it.

Will enters the bathroom while Ethan's brushing his teeth, and immediately begins grinning widely. Ethan doesn't even have the heart to tell him to shut up.

**4**

The first (and last) time he threatens Will is when he finds giant,  _glittery_ purple clips in his hair.

"I'm gonna get a haircut today," he tells Will before the analyst can even begin to laugh at him. "i'm gonna get all of it chopped off,  _all of it, Will_. Ahh, I've missed the good old buzzcut days."

"You wouldn't," says Will, aghast, eyes wide.

"I totally would," Ethan retorts.

 _Shit_ , he thinks a second later. Will's doing it again. The puppy eyes thing he can't resist to save his life.

"Not going to work," he tells Will, and hopes he sounds firm and not like the indecisive ball of goo he's become inside. "Not going to work, Will."

Will doesn't say a word, just blinks at him. How can anyone make blinking look like such a tragedy,  _are you shitting me_ , thinks Ethan.

"Ugh, fine," he gives in thirty-three seconds later. " _Fine_. I won't get it cut."

"Knew it," says Will happily, and kisses Ethan's cheek.

Ethan can't for the life of him figure out  _why_ he never knew of Will's devious side until after they got together and it was too late to back out. Though he'd be lying if he says he doesn't love it.

**5**

Ethan really fucking hates hospitals. He hates them even more when he wakes up to find his head feeling extra-heavy and uncomfortable. Just a glance at Benji and Jane trying to suppress laughter while Will looks suspiciously innocent, and he knows it's not the drugs in his system.

"What did you do?" he rasps at them, pointing accusingly at Will.

Will has the  _nerve_ to look affronted. "Nothing!" he says, and Ethan almost believes him. Will has an  _excellent_ "don't hurt me I didn't do anything" face, and while it's turned out useful on missions more than once, Ethan's learned to see through it because, you know, he  _lives_ with Will. He knows that Will's been up to something just by a glance.

 _What_ he's been up to, though. That usually takes more time and effort to find out.

"How are you feeling?" Jane asks him, nodding at the thick cast on his arm where he'd been shot.

"Not bad," he tells her. "I've had worse." He turns back to Benji, who's flat-out giggling now. "What are  _you_ laughing it?"

"Nothing," Benji says suspiciously quickly, doing a bad impression of Will's innocent face. Of course, on him it just looks like severe constipation.

Huffing, Ethan raises his good arm and gingerly pats himself on the head. He's met with ridges and twists and turns of hair knotted tightly into what honest-to-God feels like a  _damn french braid_. Or, to be accurate, shitloads of small french braids  _all over his fucking head_.

He tugs at his hair, and isn't surprised to find it doesn't budge. Will's done an excellent job of securing his hair with so many bobby pins that he could easily set off a metal detector right now.

"Get it off," he snaps at Will, but his tone isn't as effective when his throat feels dry as hell. He takes a sip of water from the glass Will gives him, and then continues glaring at his team.

"No, not doing it," Will says happily.

"I'll undo it myself if you won't," Ethan threatens.

Will's eyes go wide. "No, don't do that! It took hours of hard work and  _skill_ , Ethan!"

Ethan can't help but snort. "Skill? Of all the things you could learn, you decided to go and learn how to braid my hair?"

Will's slightly sheepish look gives him all the answer he needs. "He's been YouTubing it," Benji tells him cheerfully. "And I helped with some of the braids."

"And I provided the clips and hairpins," Jane says, smiling wide. "I've been doing it all along."

Ethan falls back against the pillows and groans. What is his life,  _seriously_. "This is some kind of mutiny, isn't it?" he asks the three grinning idiots next to his bedside. "This is about the time I refused to watch  _27 Dresses_ with you guys, isn't it?"

"Among many other things," Will grins. "And to be fair, Ethan, that was Chick-Flick Night. We were  _supposed_ to watch a girly movie."

Ethan rolls his eyes. "I'm gonna undo my hair now."

"You actually can't," Benji informs him. "Will and I made sure."

"Why?" asks Ethan in a long-suffering tone. " _Why_ , Will. I thought you loved me."

"You were unconscious, I had to pass the time," shrugs Will. "And I do love you, don't worry."

Ethan gives his hair one last, desperate tug and closes his eyes, groaning quietly. He hears Will laugh and feels a kiss on his cheek a moment later. "For future reference, Ethan - the stupider your stunts and the worse your subsequent injury, the fancier your hair will be. Keep that in mind next time you wanna tackle a man waving around a loaded Colt."

That is the exact moment Ethan gives up on ever having normal hair again.

**6**

Except, if he's being honest, he doesn't mind so much. At all. Especially not when he's leaning back against Will while the analyst plays with his hair, running his hands through it and occasionally twisting it around his fingers.

He can live with braids and fancy hair clips and glittery accessories tangled in his hair, if it means he gets to see Will laugh.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize. Again.
> 
> That being said, please do leave comments and feedback, and let me know what you thought! :)
> 
> Love,  
> Remy


End file.
